TALES FROM THE AFTERLIFE

I have become a certified village bum; what, with spending a considerable chunk of my life in Kiamwathi, Kinunga, Giakanja, Wariruta and Mihuti being the order of the day. Now my Kikuyu is almost native and my hair is dyed red from constant exposure to the red volcanic soils. That’s not to say I don’t have a life, I certainly do. I recently took a working tour of Nyeri and filed these demented memoirs. Nyeri, the provincial seat of Central Province, lies about 160 kilometres north of Nairobi. The direct route to Nyeri is via Sagana & Karatina but you could also take the more winding and picturesque route via Muranga - Othaya. On a clear sunny day, one may be lucky to see the bold snow peak of the Kirinyaga as the local would have it or simply Mt Kenya. The Aberdares too are visible from several vantage points. The history of Nyeri town is intertwined with that of the Mau Mau freedom fighters and that of the founder of the Boys Scouts & Girl Guide movements – Baden Powel...

Look Sicilian, look Suspect, look Soprano…   On a good day, Malindi is the honeymooners’ paradise of Kenya. And for good reason: Sand, Sun & Fun; that’s according to St. Hans. When an invite came in for me to go visit, there was no way in this world (this or the next) I was going to say no. So I bundled up my backpack and jumped on a Malindi-bound Scandinavia bus. The Scandinavia leaves Nairobi a little early (7am) so as to get to Malindi at a decent hour. I slept the first few hours of our journey till I got to Mtito Andei. Smooth road, and when you are riding solo, there is nothing much to do but sleep or listen to music. As tradition demands, Mtito Andei is a must-stop for all buses headed down South. The setting of this ancient ritual is the Mobil Petrol Station at Mtito Andei. When the bus comes to a stop at the said ritual site, the driver will most certainly bark “dakika ishirini”, twenty minutes and the conductor repeats the same two words. No indic...

Early morning in Zanzibar, Edenic. View from Serena Hotel balcony window, Absolutely enchanting! Crow in paradise? I  don't believe in omens.😂 The Indian Ocean, Simmering in the late afternoon sun. Early evening, Swimming with the sharks. The World's End... Inspired by Captain Jack Sparrow.    Paradise on fire?  Not really, just an orange filter.   Sunset, The stuff of odes. Dusk, A dhow at sea.   Zanzibar by night, Bring on the Salsa. Errrr... more like the Taarab!     CREDITS The Spice Island of Zanzibar holds a certain enthralling magic that has always enchanted my senses. I have twice visited the island with roughly the same outcomes...  It's easy to fall in love in paradise. But paradise is expensive. Worry not, your folly will be rapidly cured by the harsh reality of your daily hustle. 

No Kenyan Safari is complete without a tour of the world-famous Maasai Mara Game Reserve. The Wildebeest Migration is one of the most breathtaking spectacles on earth.  Every year, over 1.5 million wildebeest and hundreds of zebras and gazelles cross the Mara River from the Tanzanian side into the Maasai Mara for a few months of grazing before returning to the Serengeti. While in the Mara, make a point of riding the Hot Air Balloon at dawn, followed by a sumptuous breakfast served out in the wild. It's an experience you will never forget!      Powering up the balloon for take-off!      The launch !      The engine      Dawn in the Mara.    The Mara River seesawing through the Mara         Serenity       The bull charges at a balloon 100 meters in the air      Touchdown!   ...

"The String Theory" is one of the most fascinating particle physics theories ever proposed. This theoretical framework attempts to summarize all forces/matter in the universe into a single mathematical construct/equation. "The Universe in a Single Atom " is a book by the 14th Dalai Lama (Tenzin Gyatso) that explores the convergence of the boundless forces in the universe into the minuscule microcosm of an atom.   On a spiritual scale (...make that religious level, hic!), there is an abundance of tenets that attempt to bridge this connection. The Christian Bible talks of "on earth, as it is in heaven". This assertion perfectly mirrors the mystics and alchemy dichotomous maxim that is contained in the Emerald Tablet (Tabula Smaragdina) and embodied in "The Law of Correspondence": As above, so below! Nebula Fox Fur Reflected in the aspect of a wine glass! The Green Lantern A spitting mirror image of the Jack-O'-Lantern Nebula R...